


"Vanity, thy name is.....Chris Redfield?"

by nimrod262



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Aging, Alpha Team mention, BSAA, Fluff and Humor, Gravitas, M/M, Nivanfeels, Nivanfield, One Shot, Politics, Slice of Life, Vanity, Washington
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-29 12:58:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11441370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nimrod262/pseuds/nimrod262
Summary: When Chris worries about something, it usually turns out to be nothing. When Piers worries about something, it usually turns out to be Chris.....but not this time.....





	"Vanity, thy name is.....Chris Redfield?"

2017:

Captain Piers Nivans, Director BSAA NAB and Captain Chris Redfield, his Director of Operations, were both sat in the lounge of their home, the _Deuce of Hearts_ , not far from the BSAA base in Pennsylvania. It was a Sunday morning; their one day of rest in the week.

Business permitting they tried to get back to their home most weekends. Leaving Washington late Friday night and returning from Williamsport on the Sunday evening. They'd got the drive down to a little over four hours....traffic permitting. They took turns driving and sleeping, and to talk the week's work through so as to leave the weekend free.

This weekend the Gods had been kind to them, so they had seized the chance to relax. 'Relaxing' included a boisterous Saturday evening in the all-ranks club with the boys...the past and present members of Alpha Team plus hangers-on. It was an opportunity to rekindle those family values they all cherished. And for Chris and Piers to let the SOAs and SOUs know they were still around and still caring. Not tied to their desks down in Washington. It was also a chance to get the view from 'on the ground', rather than from Capitol Hill.

For Piers especially, this was as much an intelligence gathering opportunity as a social one. He didn't have the contacts and friends in Washington that Chris enjoyed. Andy Walker, although now married, remained a useful source of the view from both the front-line and from rumor-control. And as for Finn Macauley, study and his blossoming relationship with Danny Svenson had not diminished his appetite for collecting, and disseminating, gossip. He'd always loved talking to his 'El Tee', and now Piers enjoyed listening as his Director.

But Sunday was _their_ time. Chris sat at one end of the sofa, with Ruff lying in the middle, his head on Chris' lap. Piers sat at the 'tail-end', reading. He was trying to wade through the heavy news section of the Sunday paper. He'd never been a great one for power struggles and insider stories. He'd always taken in the international news, scanning for situations or items that could affect the BSAA, but now, with his new cap on, he had to get a handle on the politics as well. He'd never liked playing the political game, yet now he found himself right in the middle of it. He sighed, 'Suck it up Nivans!' he told himself.

By comparison, Chris had made the transition to his new post with ease. He was already used to the in-fighting and back-stabbing of D.C. just as he was used to the close-quarter combat and melee fights of bioterrorism operations. Real life, however, could still be occasionally tricky for the big guy. Piers looked across at his partner. He was scratching Ruff's head absently, frowning, his mouth slack. Piers recognized all the signs of an impending crisis. For most people, Chris' normal was utterly abnormal. But for him, their normal was.....well, complicated sometimes. Piers didn't have long to wait. There was a deep intake of breath, closely followed by a long exhalation.

"Piers.....am I.....am I vain?"

Piers thought about it. He had to admit he hadn't seen that one coming. "No Babe, I don't think you're vain....."

"Oh......good."

But Piers hadn't finished his response. "....Well, not in the _accepted_ sense." He smiled.

"Hmm, Ok...wait! What do you mean? _Accepted_?" He copied Piers' emphasis.

"Well, you're not arrogant, and you're certainly not boastful." Chris looked at him rather blankly so Piers simplified the language. "You're not big-headed. And you certainly don't worry about your appearance as such, clothes, hair."

"Well Claire always looked after that side of things.....and now I've got you." Chris wasn't at all embarrassed by his answer. It was simply stating a fact.

"Heh, heh, she has my sympathy."

Chris ignored the jibe. "But I do like to keep in shape....is that vanity?"

"More a job requisite I guess. Besides which, I like a bit of muscle now and then."

"Ha! Down boy! So why am I vain in the _unaccepted_ sense?"

"Ah, er, well sometimes you are a bit cocky...." Chris smirked. "....No! I don't mean that Bear!" Piers rolled his eyes. "I mean assertive, and not just in your speech. You use your physicality a lot."

"Well, it comes with the territory, Senior Captain and all that. I lead by example."

"Oh yeh, of course...I don't think you do it consciously, but you do have a certain swagger, a physical presence. You use your size to barrel through problems like you barrel through Zombies."

"I do?"

"Yes. See that's what I mean, you don't even know you're doing it, it’s just become part of you."

"And that's unacceptably vain then?"

"Well perhaps unacceptable was the wrong word.....you're just using your attributes to the best advantage."

And so _that's_ vain?

"No, its.....it’s more complicated than that..."

"Hmph! You're the one making it complicated....I just wanted to know if worrying about grey hairs was vain. Instead I get dragged into a discussion on how unacceptably big I am."

"Grey hairs?"

"Yes." Chris colored up a little. "I noticed at the Barbers the other week; some salt in the pepper."

Piers relaxed a little. Perhaps it wasn't exactly an impending crisis after all, although you could never tell with Chris. That was one reason Piers loved him, for the excitement. "Don't worry Babe; you've had them for a while."

"You knew! And you never said? Why?"

"Cos' I knew you'd probably get upset. Cos' it's a sign of aging. You hate talking about that."

"I do?"

"Yes, because you're a little bit.....what's the word?"

"Vain?"

"Er, well I was gonna' say touchy, but vain works too."

"Oh my God!"

"Now what?"

"I've got grey hairs, I'm vain and now my partner's keeping secrets from me."

"Well it's hardly a secret."

"What! Who else knows?"

"Anyone with eyes. You've had them for a little while, since Edonia. I'm not surprised given what happened there and afterwards. I've got some myself."

"You have? I thought they were highlights."

Piers rolled his eyes, again. "Chris, I'm the Director NAB, the youngest one in the whole BSAA. I'm trying to get a grip on the politics and be accepted by people twice my age. I won't achieve that by dyeing my hair. In fact I welcome the odd grey one, anything to give me some much needed gravitas."

"Is that why you insisted we all wear uniform now at HQ?"

"It helps."

"You could always grow a beard." said Chris, trying to be helpful himself. Piers gave him the 'sharp' look. "Oh, sorry, you don't do you, um, no. Well, the walking stick's a nice touch."

"I need that!" Piers said defensively.

"Only because you're always pushing yourself; you never rest that leg properly."

"I've got an image to maintain Chris, especially now."

"Sounds _unacceptably_ vain to me."

Ruff raised his head and whined. He'd quickly picked up on the raised voices. Chris and Piers looked at one another sheepishly.

"Ha!"

"Heh, heh!"

"Are we really getting uptight over a few grey hairs Ace?"

Piers threw the newspaper onto the coffee table with disdain. "There's far worse things Babe. The paper's full of them today."

"That's the press for you. Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Bastards!"

"That's us I suppose. Coming to terms with the truth, our new 'hats' and new responsibilities. Our 'position' in the political circles of Washington.....our aging."

"Jeez, I always wanted you to lead the new generation of Officers Ace. I never thought you'd leapfrog a whole career path. But you deserve it, I'm so proud of you." Chris smiled. "Dee saw something in you I didn't, not at the time. I'm sorry."

"We're a team, that's what he saw. We both had to progress or stay where we were. And that wouldn't have lasted much longer. He helped us make the transition."

"He manipulated and pushed us you mean. Like he always did!"

"Would you have done it any differently?"

"No.....probably not."

"Well I for one am glad he did. He protected us at the same time. We owe him a lot."

Chris had to chuckle. "Yeh, the sly old dog. And now there's a sly young pu....., er, dog."

"Aided and abetted by a middle-aged Bear."

"Ha! And look at all the new talent there is snapping at our heels. Pete Carter, Dave Johansson, Jack Shaughnessy. Ben going for his commission; which means Carl won't be far behind. Rick and Raul."

"Um, let's not get carried away."

"Well certainly Finn and Danny, our two boys, the next generation of BSAA Doctors. Simmonds and Clark running the entire _Cerberus_ training program. You did all that."

"Takes two."

"Talking of which....." Chris gently pushed a protesting Ruff off the sofa and sidled up to Piers. "Time for a hug Boss."

Piers rested his head on Chris' shoulder and closed his eyes. "Mmm, this is nice.."

"Yeh, it is....."

The hazel eyes suddenly blinked open. "Er, Chris, you don't think _I'm_ vain do you?"

"Ask me one on sport." Piers pinched him. "Ow! Ok, now what?"

"I thought perhaps I could change my hairstyle. Lose the bangs, ya' know, look more mature."

Chris didn't even bother to think. "NO! You know my motto. If it ain't broken...."

"......don't fix it!"

"Yup, that's the one. I love my Director just the way he is. Lock, stock and two smoking barrels."

"Two?"

"Yeh, _Tophie_ and, er...." Chris pointed, grinning wickedly.

"Oh!" Piers blushed. You mean Woof?"

"Grrr!" Chris looked down at Ruff. "Sorry Ruffster, you're going in the yard. For an hour....or two."

Chris rejoined Piers on the sofa. "So you wouldn't mind snuggling up to a polar bear in the future then Ace?"

"Of course not Babe. As long as I didn't have to pander to you."

"Huh?"

"Panda? Geddit?"

"Piers, you may be the new Director, but your jokes are ancient. Stick to gravitas and let me do the funnies. Ok?"

"Oh look, a grey hair, and another..."

"Oi!"

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a recent visit of my own to the Barbers, and watching the ‘snow’ fall. Plus I wanted to write some Nivanfluff for the weekend. Have a good one! nimrod :))


End file.
